About Thornton Tomasetti

Thornton Tomasetti provides engineering design, investigation and analysis services to clients worldwide on projects of every size and level of complexity. They are a 100% employee-held organization of 1,200 engineers, architects, sustainability practitioners and support professionals collaborating from offices across North America and in Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. They focus on providing a diverse suite of integrated services and leading innovation in our industry to ensure the continued success of their clients.

Thornton Tomasetti at CTBUH

CTBUH New York Holiday Party
5 Dec 2018, New York City
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Event
Report
The CTBUH New York Chatper kicked off the holiday season with a fun, spirited party and celebration of a successful year.

Seismic Design Working Group Meets at 2018 Conference
20 Oct 2018, Dubai
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Event
Report
The CTBUH Performance-Based Seismic Design Working Group reconvened at the CTBUH 2018 Middle East Conference in Dubai to outline an approach for updating their 2017 technical guide.

CTBUH Trustees Convene in Dubai
20 Oct 2018, Dubai
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Event
Report
The CTBUH Board of Trustees met for the second time in 2018, just prior to the 2018 Middle East Conference, to undertake high level discussions on the Council's future.

Record Numbers Convene at 2018 Leaders Meeting
20 Oct 2018, Dubai
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Event
Report
CTBUH Leaders convened on Day 1 of the 2018 Middle East Conference for updates on the year's developments and to plan for 2019.

CTBUH New York Chapter Hosts: Data-Smart Cities
20 Sep 2018, New York City
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Event
Report
The CTBUH New York Chapter hosted a panel discussion on smart cities, the key systems that harvest data for planners, designers, policy makers and the general public.

Talking Tall: Engineering a Better Future
27 Jul 2018, Chicago
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CTBUH Journal Paper
In the 2018 CTBUH Journal Issue III, Aine Brazil, Vice Chairman, Thornton Tomasetti, talks about her career highlights in high-rises and the support for more women in engineering.

CTBUH Leaders Meet at Annual Awards Event
1 Jun 2018, Chicago
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Event
Report
The first 2018 Leaders Meeting brought together CTBUH leaders from around the world to provide mid-year updates on the Council's major initiatives.

CTBUH Rope-Less, Non-Vertical Elevators Team Holds Second Meeting
23 Jun 2017, Rottweil
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Event
Report
The second meeting of the research team involved in “A Study on the Design Possibilities Enabled by Rope-Less, Non-Vertical Elevators” was held in Rottweil, Germany.

CTBUH Germany Hosts Symposium on Technical Innovation
22 Jun 2017, Rottweil
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Event
Report
CTBUH Germany held a symposium to discuss the role of technical and technological innovation and its effect on the various disciplines within the construction industry.

CTBUH Joins Chicago Seminar on Mass Timber Buildings
8 Jun 2017, Chicago
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Event
Report
CTBUH joined a CCHRB seminar on "The Heavy Timber High Rise: Building Tall with Wood in the 21st Century," focused on new applications of wood as a structural material.

CTBUH Executive Director Honored as ENR Newsmaker
13-14 Apr 2017, New York City
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Event
Report
CTBUH Executive Director Antony Wood was recognized by ENR as one of the "Top 25 Newsmakers of 2016," attending an event in New York to receive his honor.

Ping An Finance Center Now Fourth Tallest Building in the World
27 Mar 2017, Shenzhen
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CTBUH-Related News
CTBUH has certified the completion of Ping An Finance Center. At 599 meters it is the tallest building in Shenzhen, second tallest in China, and fourth tallest worldwide.

First CAF-CTBUH Lecture Series Draws Crowd, Rave Reviews
16 Mar 2017, Chicago
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Event
Report
The CTBUH, in conjunction with the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF), held the first of the four-part “Building Tall” lecture series at the CAF lecture hall.

CTBUH Board of Trustees Set the Agenda for 2017
16 Oct 2016, Shenzhen
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Event
Report
The Board of Trustees held their second meeting of the year in conjunction with the 2016 Conference to discuss the Council’s plans for 2017.

CTBUH Philadelphia: Creating Real Estate Out of Thin Air
3 May 2016, Philadelphia
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Event
Report
The CTBUH Philadelphia Committee hosted speakers at the Hayworth Showroom in Philadelphia to discover how the development at 30th Street Station can be made a reality.

CTBUH NYC YPC: Spring Social at BIG
7 Apr 2016, New York City
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Event
Report
CTBUH New York Young Professional Committee held their annual Spring Social event at Bjarke Ingels Group's New York Office on April 7, 2016.

YPC: 2015 Achievements and Event Success
16 Mar 2016, New York City
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Event
Report
CTBUH YPC held their first meeting of 2016 on March 16 at the offices of SOM to discuss the success of the past events and plans for future initiatives.

Educational Outreach Program
12 Feb 2016, New York City
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Event
Report
CTBUH YPC kicked off their educational outreach initiative with a mentorship program at Pratt Institute, to teach students how to unlock synergistic potential in their designs.

Performance and Behavior of Tall Buildings for Wind Loads
13 Jan 2016, New York City
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Event
Report
CTBUH YPC hosted an event on wind engineering and understanding its effects on tall buildings as well as to provide insight into the engineering efforts in design of shorter buildings.

Insights and Innovations - The First 3D Printed Office Building
16 Dec 2015, Chicago
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Event
Report
CTBUH Chicago held a presentation that introduced current research and advances in the field of 3D printed building design.

Decoding NYC High Rise Building Codes
15 Dec 2015, New York City
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Event
CTBUH YPC organized a presentation and panel discussion for Decoding NYC High Rise Building Codes to discuss some of the major enhancements to the 2014 NYC Codes

Computational Design Technology
19 Nov 2015, New York City
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Event
Report
CTBUH YPC hosted a presentation and panel discussion focused on the current computational technology tools used today in architecture and how collaboration is enhanced in the profession

CTBUH 2015 New York Conference Gold Sponsor
26-30 Oct 2015, New York City
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Conference Sponsor
After a post-recession hiatus in tall building construction in many countries lasting several years, numerous cities are again resurgent.

432 Park Avenue: Design and Engineering
15 Oct 2015, New York City
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Event
Report
Presentations of the architectural and engineering design of 432 Park Avenue, the tallest residential building in the Western Hemisphere.

VIA 57 West: Challenging Building Form and Urban Development
9 Jul 2015, New York City
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Event
Report
At the Bank of America Tower in New York City, more than 200 professionals attended “VIA 57 West: Challenging Building Form and Urban Development in Manhattan.”

The 4th Biannual IACIE Conference for Structural Engineers
11 May 2015, Tel Aviv
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Event
Report
CTBUH led a session at the 4th Conference for Structural and Bridge Engineering organized by IEACI at the Dan Panorama hotel.

YPC New York Presents Pioneering Megatall: Ping An Finance Center
15 Apr 2015, New York City
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Event
Report
The inaugural CTBUH New York City Chapter event, held at the offices of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, showcased the rising Ping An Finance Center.

CTBUH Representatives Accompany Saudi Visit to Qatar, UAE
Oct 2014
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Tour
Report
Henning Larsen Architects have been commissioned to design a sizable new headquarters building for a key Saudi organization and visited similar projects in Qatar and UAE.

Suzhou Regional Tour Report
20-21 Sep 2014, Suzhou
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Tour
Report
The tour started at Suzhou Zhongnan Center and continued to one of the two International Fortune Plaza towers, which had just had its topping-out ceremony the day prior.

Building Management and Operation Workshop, Shanghai 2014
16 Sep 2014, Shanghai
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Event
Report
The workshop “Building Management and Operation” shed light on the critical period of a building’s life after the designs have been submitted and the ribbons have been cut.

International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Vol. 3 No. 1
Mar 2014, Seoul
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CTBUH Publication
The International Journal of High-Rise Buildings, Volume 3: Number 1 includes 8 papers focusing on pure research content and investigations in tall building design.

YPC Roundtable Discussion: Hackable Cities and Work in the City
27 Feb 2014, Chicago
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Event
Report
The Young Professionals Committee hosted a discussion which introduced the concept of "hacking" the built environment to create pragmatic, yet dynamic, augmentations to the city.

Activity at the CTBUH London Conference: Day One
11 Jun 2013, London
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Conference Activity
Report
See the highlights from the first day of the CTBUH 2013 London Conference including the Opening Plenary and Conference Dinner.

CTBUH 2013 London Conference Silver+ Sponsor
11-13 Jun 2013, London
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Conference Sponsor
In the midst of two decades of unprecedented tall building development globally, Europe has increasingly embraced the skyscraper, even in cities seen as “anti-tall.”

Young Professionals Committee Hosts Shanghai Tower Presentation
22 May 2013, Chicago
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Event
Report
The designers of Shanghai Tower presented to a capacity crowd at the Chicago Architecture Foundation May 22, at an event hosted by the Young Professionals Committee.

Leading Structural Firms Help the Council on LCA Research
Feb 2013, Chicago
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CTBUH Research
Report
Twelve of the world’s best-known structural engineering firms helped the CTBUH Research Team to perform a fundamental part of its LCA research project.

CTBUH 2012 Shanghai Conference Silver Sponsor
19-21 Sep 2012, Shanghai
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Conference Sponsor
That the 21st Century will be the age of the Asian Skyscraper seems indisputable. Already, the past two decades have witnessed a major shift in tall buildings from west to east.

Shanghai Congress News Day Congress: Day One
19 Sep 2012, Shanghai
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Conference Activity
Report
See the highlights from the first day of the CTBUH 2012 Shanghai Congress including the Opening Plenary and VIP Reception.

International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Vol. 1 No. 3
Sep 2012, Shanghai
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CTBUH Publication
The International Journal of High-Rise Buildings, Volume 1: Number 3 includes 10 papers focusing on pure research content and investigations in tall building design.

International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Vol. 1 No. 1
Mar 2012, Seoul
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CTBUH Publication
The International Journal of High-Rise Buildings, Volume 1: Number 1 includes 7 papers focusing on pure research content and investigations in tall building design.

Three International Finance Center Tour Report
11 Oct 2011, Seoul
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Tour
Report
Three International Finance Center was one of an incredible eight 250 meter-plus projects that are under construction in Seoul and the site for a technical tour.

CTBUH 2011 Seoul Conference Silver Sponsor
10-12 Oct 2011, Seoul
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Conference Sponsor
This conference aimed to shed new light on the meaning and value of tall buildings in the rapidly growing city of Seoul, from the perspectives of green, safety, and humanity.

CTBUH Makes New Leader Appointments
14 Sep 2011, Chicago
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CTBUH News
The Council is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to the Board of Trustees, Dennis Poon and Steve Watts, and one appointment to the Advisory Group, John D. Nipaver.

CTBUH 2009 Chicago Conference Silver Sponsor
22-23 Oct 2009, Chicago
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Conference Sponsor
Tall Buildings have enjoyed two decades of unprecedented development. That position is now under threat from the twin challenges of global climate change and a severe recession.

CTBUH Resources Involving Thornton Tomasetti

Award Winners & Award of Excellence Recipients

The CTBUH Awards recognize projects and individuals that have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of tall buildings and the urban environment, and that achieve sustainability at the highest and broadest level.

Shaping Skylines Through Engineering Innovation
30 May 2018 –
Presentation at CTBUH 2018 Chicago Tall+Urban Conference;
Aine Brazil, Thornton Tomasetti
Aine M. Brazil is a leading structural engineer who has been instrumental in shaping the skylines of cities across the globe. In her 40-plus year career, she has been responsible for the design and construction of some of the most significant high-…

Structural Design Challenges of Zhongnan Center
18 Sep 2014 –
Presentation at CTBUH 2014 Shanghai Conference;
Yi Zhu & Paul Fu, Thornton Tomasetti
This presentation will give an overview of the following solutions used to address the structural challenges of the Zhongnan Center: a foundation to support the heavy tower on soft soils, an efficient lateral system, a floor system that meets…

Unique Aspects of Shanghai Tower
18 Sep 2014 –
Presentation at CTBUH 2014 Shanghai Conference;
Yi Zhu, Thornton Tomasetti
In order to construct an unprecedented building like the Shanghai Tower, creative structural solutions are required in order to distribute loads evenly and optimize the building’s lateral systems. The tower’s innovative and economically efficient…

Designing a Supertall for the Venice of China
17 Sep 2014 –
Presentation at CTBUH 2014 Shanghai Conference;
Dennis Poon & Guoyong (Paul) Fu, Thornton Tomasetti
In this presentation, attendees will learn about the unique structural elements that support Suzhou Zhongnan Center, including the “Core-Outrigger-Megaframe” lateral system; the foundation system, which helps support the massive tower and control its…

Session 2: What Contributes Most to Sustainability in Tall Buildings?
11 Jun 2013 –
Presentation at CTBUH 2013 London Conference;
Dennis Poon, Neville Glanville, Klaus Lother & David Malott
The next generation of tall buildings will be judged on more than sheer height or aesthetic appearance. In the context of sustainability, they will also be judged on more than just their energy consumption. They will be judged on their contribution…

Fazlur Kahn Lifetime Achievement Medal: A Lifetime’s Engineering Collaboration
18 Oct 2012 –
CTBUH "11th Annual Awards";
Charles Thornton & Richard Tomasetti, Thornton Tomasetti
The partnership between Charles Thornton and Richard Tomasetti has provided the backbone for many of the most dramatic and innovative tall buildings around the world. Their legacy includes Taiwan’s Taipei 101, the Petronas Towers in Malaysia and the…

The Signature Tower: Reaching High in the Sky of Indonesia
21 Sep 2012 –
Presentation at CTBUH 2012 9th World Congress, Shanghai;
Sugeng Wijanto, PT Gistama Intisemesta; Tiyok Prasetyoadii, PDW Architects
This presentation discusses the reasons behind the selection of the structural systems, as well as the use of advanced structural analyses and design methods, including Performance-Based Design which considering the risk-targeted MCE levels of…

Ping An Finance Center: Pioneering China’s Tallest – Efficiencies of Form and Structures
20 Sep 2012 –
Presentation at CTBUH 2012 9th World Congress, Shanghai;
David Malott, KPF; Dennis Poon, Thornton Tomasetti
Upon completion in 2015, the Ping An Finance Center will join an elite group of megatall buildings. This presentation discusses using the Ping An Finance Center and other buildings as examples of how the optimization of building shape impacts…

Wuhan Greenland Center Main Tower: Seamlessly Integrating Structure and Architecture
20 Sep 2012 –
Presentation at CTBUH 2012 9th World Congress, Shanghai;
Guoyong Fu & Mark Dannettel, Thornton Tomasetti; Juan Betancur, AS+GG
On track to become the 7th tallest building in the world, Wuhan Greenland Center Main Tower is a 125-story, 600+ meter megatall tower in China. The project’s structural system has been developed to harmonize with the architecture as an integrated…

Structural Design Challenges of Shanghai Tower
19 Sep 2012 –
Presentation at CTBUH 2012 9th World Congress, Shanghai;
Yi Zhu & Steve Zuo, Thornton Tomasetti
The team behind Shanghai Tower faced a number of unique structural challenges which required innovative solutions in the design and construction of the 632m-tall tower. In this presentation we learn of some of these challenges and solutions,…

The Challenges for Supertall Building Structural Design and Sustainability Issues
Oct 2011 –
Presentation at CTBUH 2011 Seoul Conference;
Dennis CK Poon, Thornton Tomasetti
Upon completion in 2014, the Ping An Tower will be the tallest tower in China, and the centerpiece of the growing Shenzhen skyline located just a few minutes north of Hong Kong. Implementing LEED requirements for design, construction and life cycle…

Outrigger System Design Guide from CTBUH Outrigger Working Group to be Released
Oct 2011 –
Presentation at CTBUH 2011 Seoul Conference;
Hi Sun Choi, Thornton Tomasetti
As outrigger systems have been widely used in supertall building design since 1980's, CTBUH recognized a need for general design guidelines and formed the Outrigger Working Group. The working group has developed the first-ever outrigger system design…

Tall and Supertall Buildings: Structure and Skin Performance
5 Feb 2010 –
Presentation at CTBUH 2010 Mumbai Conference;
Joe Burns, Thornton Tomasetti
There are many challenges and opportunities in designing the structure and skin of high performing tall buildings. Examples from different regions highlight responses to wind effects, building movements and tolerances. BIM Modeling is a new tool to…

Chicago Spire: Technical Twisting and Turning
22 Oct 2009 –
Presentation at CTBUH 2009 Chicago Conference;
Richard Tomasetti, Thornton Tomasetti
For the best part of a decade, Asia eclipsed the U.S. as the leader in the world’s tallest buildings. In the mid-2000s, however, a number of U.S. cities once again proposed supertall buildings in a bid to rebrand U.S. skylines and encourage urban…

A Statement in Steel: The New York Times Building
5 Mar 2008 –
Presentation at CTBUH 2008 8th World Congress, Dubai;
Thomas Z. Scarangello, Kyle E. Krall & Jeffrey A. Callow, Thornton Tomasetti
Kyle E. Krall, Thornton Tomasetti presented some of the challenges driven by aesthetic, erection, and fabrication considerations of the exterior steel of the New Yotk Times building at the CTBUH 8th World Congress in Dubai. One of the principal…

Progressive Collapse: Report on Council Working Group Activities
25 Oct 2006 –
Presentation at CTBUH 2006 Chicago Conference;
Craig Gibbons, Arup; Rob Smilowitz, Weidlinger
Bob Smilowitz, Weidlinger and Craig Gibbons, Arup present the Report of the Council Working Group Activities on 'Progressive Collapse' at the opening session of the CTBUH 2006 Chicago Conference held in Herman Hall Illinois Institute of Technology.

Papers/Research

Engineering a Better Future
Jul 2018 –
CTBUH Journal 2018 Issue III; Aine Brazil, Thornton Tomasetti
Aine Brazil, Vice Chairman, Thornton Tomasetti, is the recipient of the 2018 CTBUH Fazlur R. Khan Medal. Through a 40-plus-year career, she has been responsible for the design and construction of some of the most significant high-rise buildings in…

The Ultra-Modern FKI Tower
Dec 2017 –
International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 6 Number 4; John Peronto, Thornton Tomasetti
A modern and highly-sustainable addition to the skyline of Seoul, South Korea has been completed; the Federation of Korean Industries Headquarters (FKI). The signature saw-toothed exterior wall of the 245-meter tall tower and the contrasting smooth…

Ten Significant Tall Buildings, and the Significant Women Behind Them
8 Aug 2017 –
CTBUH Journal, 2017 Issue III; Leading Women in Tall Buildings
Recently, there has been a growing and overdue recognition in the architecture discipline that women are under-represented, not just in terms of leadership positions held, but also in terms of receiving credit for the work they have done. The tall…

Vertical Shortening Considerations in the 1 km Tall Jeddah Tower
Mar 2017 –
International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 6 Number 1; John Peronto, Robert Sinn & Matthew Huizinga, Thornton Tomasetti
Jeddah Tower will be the first man-made structure to reach a kilometer in height upon its completion in 2019. From conception, it was clear that an all-concrete superstructure would present many advantages for a building of such unprecedented height…

Structural Challenges with the SOCAR Tower in Baku, a New Megacity in the Caspian Region
17 Oct 2016 –
Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Hi Sun Choi & Onur Ihtiyar, Thornton Tomasetti, Inc.; Young Kyoon Jeong & Hyungsup Sim, Heerim Architects & Planners
Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, has been rapidly transforming into a hub of high-rise buildings and cultural centers in the Caspian region. Baku’s population now accounts for more than 40 percent of the nation. With the 2012 opening of the new…

Designing a Non-coplanar Exoskeleton Supertall Tower that Transforms the Skyline of Chengdu
26 Oct 2015 –
Asia & Australasia: A Selection of Written Works on the World's Tall Building Forefront; Dennis Poon, Yi Zhu, Paul Fu & Jianhai Liang, Thornton Tomasetti
The city of Chengdu is quickly becoming the center for high-rise development in southwest China. The focal point of this new vertical landscape will be the Chengdu Greenland project with its 468-meter mixed-use main tower. The tower’s complex…

The Vertical Master Plan
26 Oct 2015 –
Global Interchanges: Resurgence of the Skyscraper City; Temoor Ahmad & Neven Sidor, Grimshaw Architects; Steve Watts, Alinea Consulting; Adam Miller, Thornton Tomasetti
With over half of the world’s population now living in an urban environment, major world cities (especially) will always grow in population over time. To avoid city sprawl, urban densification will be required. This will need to happen at a steadier…

Economical & Efficient Structural Solutions
16 Sep 2014 –
Ping An Finance Center: In Detail; Dennis Poon, Yi Zhu, Steve Pacitto & Steve Zuo, Thornton Tomasetti Inc.
With the completion of the Ping An Finance Center (PAFC) in 2016, one of the tallest towers in China and the world will be unveiled. As more and more tall buildings exceeding 500 meters are designed, we are entering a new age of megatall buildings…

Kingdom Tower: A New Icon for Saudi Arabia
Sep 2012 –
CTBUH 2012 9th World Congress, Shanghai; Talal Al Maiman, Kingdom Real Estate
Kingdom Tower - expected to be the world’s tallest building, at over 1,000 meters, when completed in 2017 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia is outlined in this paper including the project’s history, the competitive process that led to the selection of the…

Ping An Finance Center: Pioneering China’s Tallest – Efficiencies of Form and Structures
Sep 2012 –
CTBUH 2012 9th World Congress, Shanghai; David Malott & Zhizhe Yu, KPF; Dennis Poon & Torsten Gottlebe, Thornton Tomasetti
Upon completion in 2015, the Ping An Finance Center - set to become the second tallest structure in the world and the tallest in China - will join an elite group of megatall buildings. As today’s super tall buildings become taller and more complex,…

Outrigger System Design Considerations
Sep 2012 –
International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 1 Number 3; Hi Sun Choi and Leonard Joseph, Thornton Tomasetti
Outrigger systems have been widely used in supertall buildings constructed since the 1980’s, eclipsing previously favored tubular frame systems. However, outriggers are not listed as a seismic lateral load resisting system in any code. Design…

Anything Goes?
Mar 2012 –
International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 1 Number 1; Dennis Poon and Leonard Joseph, Thornton Tomasetti
When Cole Porter wrote the song “Anything Goes” in 1934, he did not include skyscraper examples. The recently completed Chrysler and Empire State buildings followed decades of tall building development in a logical and predictable line. Today,…

The High-rise as a Retirement Community
Aug 2010 –
CTBUH Journal, 2010 Issue III; Bridget Lesniak & Robert Neper, Perkins + Will; Donald Hamlin, Thornton Tomasetti
As cities are becoming denser, the functions of high-rises are expanding. In addition, the central business district is no longer the exclusive region of the high-rise form.

A Statement in Steel: The New York Times Building
Mar 2008 –
CTBUH 2008 8th World Congress, Dubai; Thomas Z. Scarangello, Kyle E. Krall & Jeffrey A. Callow, Thornton Tomasetti
This paper will outline some of these challenges, focusing on those driven by aesthetic, erection, and fabrication considerations of the exterior steel used on the New York Times Building.

Protective Design: Saving Lives Through Structural Engineering
May 2003 –
CTBUH Journal, Spring 2003; Tod Rittenhouse & Robert Smilowitz, Weidlinger Associates Consulting Engineers
In recent years the engineering community has had to consider new design criteria, the terrorist explosive threat. Whether developing new or renovation projects, protective design and dynamic analysis has become part of the structural engineering…

Kidney Stones and The Structural Design of Tall Buildings
Feb 2001 –
CTBUH 2001 6th World Congress, Melbourne; Gary C. Hart, Weidlinger Associates
Structural Engineers are professionals in this “high tech” age just like doctors. They work for clients that really have no technical training or experience to evaluate their work except when the dreaded Kidney Stone, or the Design Basis Earthquake…

The Tallest Concrete Building in Shanghai, China – Plaza 66
Feb 2001 –
CTBUH 2001 6th World Congress, Melbourne; Richard L. Tomasetti, Dennis Poon & Ling-en Hsaio, Thornton Tomasetti
Plaza 66 is the latest addition to the skyline of Shanghai, China; with a height of 281.5 meters, it’s the tallest concrete building in the city. This project embodies the challenges of building in a seismic and typhoon area with poor foundation…